1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for and a method of controlling a vehicle and, in particular, to a control technology at the time of starting a vehicular engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-340028 discloses a start preparation system that detects the opening/closing of a vehicle door, an insertion of a key into a key cylinder, a driver sitting down on the seat, and fastening of a seat belt, predicts the starting of the engine from the detection results and starts to prepare starting an engine when the starting of the engine is predicted.
For the preparation of starting of the engine, supply of electric current to a heater arranged in a fuel injection valve for injecting fuel into the engine is started.
However, when a device or devices are operated before starting the engine in order to prepare the starting of the engine, if even one of the devices is failed and is not operated normally, electric power is wastefully consumed. Moreover, when a short circuit occurs in the drive circuit of the device, a large amount of electric current must pass through the drive circuit. An excessive power consumption before starting the engine results in exhausting a battery.